Sofia Sanchez, Nicolas Aguilera, Christine LeFevre, Maddy Ruffinelli What is the primary goal of reconstruction? Reunification, punishment, civil rights, other? The primary goal of reconstruction is the reunification of the Union. We need to join the North and South back together in the hopes of creating a stronger and more powerful Union. High ranked officials such as generals/politicians in the CSA, shall be punished severely. They will either be exiled, incarcerated, or be put to death depending on the extent of their involvement with the KKK or any other acts of racism. We also need to protect the rights of all citizens and plan to go about this by passing constitutional amendments banning slavery forever in all states. Thus beginning to put an end to the idea of racial superiority and paving the way towards a greater future for the Union and the people.
What should be done to the ex-Confederates? The Confederates (now ex-Confederates) were responsible in rebelling against the North and instigating the Civil War. Ex-confederate leaders, or KKK Grand Wizards as they were referred to by supporters, should be incarcerated secretly. Atop of that, their land will be distributed amongst the freedmen. Once, or if, these men are released, they will be banned from voting for 2 elections, following their public announcement of resignation from the Ku Klux Klan and burning of a Confederate flag. They will be forced to take an oath that states they no longer support the radical terrorist group and will respect the rights of the Freedmen. If these individuals are to refuse or violate this oath, they will be sentenced to 10 years in prison and will be denied the right to vote for an additional 12 years following their release. Since the South has been built upon and thrived upon the belief of racism, it’s time to begin destroying this belief by implementing a class in all schools, solely to instill the idea of racial equality and an understanding of the inhumane institution of slavery. The ex-Confederates who have not been jailed, shall be required to pay their workers or suffer the consequences of less profit and smaller amounts of produced goods. Individuals who followed through with KKK initiation, will be banned from voting for 2 elections. Furthermore, all former KKK members will take the same oath as the KKK leaders and suffer the same consequences for refusal or violation (10 years in prison and revoked voting rights for 10 more years). We hope this will bring justice to those who suffered the harsh labor, inequality, and harassment of the Confederates and their counterparts.
What should be done for the freedmen? The war was fought over the rights for Freedmen and the certain rights they deserve. The passing of the 14th and 15th Amendments are major steps in the growth during and after reconstruction. Passing the amendments allows former black slaves the right to vote along with granting full US citizenship. US citizenship eliminates the ⅗ Compromise of 1787, which enforced the law that slaves would only count as ⅗ of a vote versus one full vote. As these freedmen develop their news lives, they’ll need the financial support since they worked the majority or in many cases, their entire life without pay. To compensate for this, a program will be established and funded through the government, to provide essentials such as clothes, food, and some form of education. Education for these former slaves is important so they can exercise their right to vote accordingly to their beliefs with real knowledge of what they’re voting for. It’s also beneficial for them because they can fulfill the requirements for higher paying jobs. The freed slaves suffered for so long with no pay and little food and essentials. Thus making a paying job a necessity. Every freed slave will be granted some sort of job with ensured payment. Whether it be farming, factory work, etc. they will receive pay to support their family. As for the KKK, they made back slaves suffer for years on end. Now with a significant amount of incarcerated members, their land will be split amongst freedmen and be put to good use whether it be agriculture or the use of living. Freedmen will be living the life that all white men have lived for years. A life full of basic rights.
Who should be able to vote and hold office in the new Southern state governments? Office in South has previously been held by White Supremacists defending slavery. Southern states should have equal representation when it comes to who’s in office. Yes, there’s people that agree with slavery and some that disagree. This making it even more important the freed black slaves are fairly represented in political events and issues. That being said, any man bears the right to run for a position in office if they meet the qualifications set. To run, they should have no less than 4 years of schooling and must obtain some political knowledge, along with ideas that will not cause regression in our society, but ideas that will give us the ability to flourish and move forward. They also must pledge oath, with their right hand on the Bible, to uphold and defend the rights the Constitution gives. If a right has been given through the Constitution, it should be obeyed by any person that is a legal United States citizen. With the freed slaves being granted US citizenship, they also have to obey all Constitutional rights. Along with obeying the Constitution, all United States citizens that have full granted citizenship have the right to vote. In the South, there will be the disagreement between freed blacks and White Supremacists, but they are all humans and all are granted the right to vote with certain exceptions regarding former Ku Klux Klan leaders and members.
What requirements must be met before states regain full rights and representation? In order for the Southern states to be readmitted into the US and regain full rights and representation, Southern states must recognize and support the citizenship and the rights of freedmen. Any Southern government that has established Black Codes will not be admitted into the Union until the codes have been removed. On top of this, each Southern state must have at least 25% of their population pledge allegiance to the United States and must abide by any Civil Rights legislation passed by the US government. If a former state does not meet any part of this criteria they will be ineligible to pledge for statehood.
How should the Southern economy be restored? In the wake of the Civil War, the South was left in ruins. The first step forward to restoration should be the regrowth of crops. In doing this, they can resume trading with the North, as well as other countries, to acquire the money lost from the war. From there, destroyed buildings like houses and businesses, will be rebuilt through the funding by the North. Families from the North who can afford to fund the South, will fund them through new taxes and will be required by law to fund them for the next 100 years or face jail time.
What role should Union troops play in policing, governing, or rebuilding the South? After the Civil War Southern citizens hated the Union and everything it stood for. The Southern way of life had ended when General Lee surrendered at Appomattox. However, the Union will not call for its soldiers to return home, they must stay and ensure that Southern states will not rebel. Troops must stay and help rebuild communities that were utterly destroyed by the Civil War. This will hopefully build trust among both the North and the South. Union soldiers will enforce and protect the rights of Freedmen, they must not let any white man deny the rights of former black slaves. The soldiers will also protect the Whites who have pledged to be apart of the Union again so white supremacist terrorist group, KKK, are unable to threaten or harm them from supporting the new amendments which have granted Black men rights. Everyone has equal rights. Any man caught being part of any radical white supremacist organization following the establishment of laws against groups like the KKK will be sent to prison for a minimum of 10 years. There will be no more toleration for such organizations in the US. All soldiers stationed in the South must protect the voting rights of all people. Blacks and whites have an equal chance to vote, force may be needed if Southern citizens do not comply. Union troops will not be pulled out of the South until loyalty to the Union is proven and all Black men are ensured safety.
Re-state the primary goal of reconstruction. The goal of reconstruction is to reunify the country without much opposition from Southern states. Harsh punishments will follow former CSA leaders who served as high ranking officials in the army or government. The government must protect the rights of all citizens no matter their race.
Prepare a response to an "opposition" group. In your response you will need to point out the flaws and weaknesses and/or the strengths of their plan. The day after we present, be sure to upload your response at the bottom of their page. You will also need to be ready to challenge their plan in class, as their group presents.
What is the primary goal of reconstruction? Reunification, punishment, civil rights, other?
The primary goal of reconstruction is the reunification of the Union. We need to join the North and South back together in the hopes of creating a stronger and more powerful Union. High ranked officials such as generals/politicians in the CSA, shall be punished severely. They will either be exiled, incarcerated, or be put to death depending on the extent of their involvement with the KKK or any other acts of racism. We also need to protect the rights of all citizens and plan to go about this by passing constitutional amendments banning slavery forever in all states. Thus beginning to put an end to the idea of racial superiority and paving the way towards a greater future for the Union and the people.
What should be done to the ex-Confederates?
The Confederates (now ex-Confederates) were responsible in rebelling against the North and instigating the Civil War. Ex-confederate leaders, or KKK Grand Wizards as they were referred to by supporters, should be incarcerated secretly. Atop of that, their land will be distributed amongst the freedmen. Once, or if, these men are released, they will be banned from voting for 2 elections, following their public announcement of resignation from the Ku Klux Klan and burning of a Confederate flag. They will be forced to take an oath that states they no longer support the radical terrorist group and will respect the rights of the Freedmen. If these individuals are to refuse or violate this oath, they will be sentenced to 10 years in prison and will be denied the right to vote for an additional 12 years following their release. Since the South has been built upon and thrived upon the belief of racism, it’s time to begin destroying this belief by implementing a class in all schools, solely to instill the idea of racial equality and an understanding of the inhumane institution of slavery. The ex-Confederates who have not been jailed, shall be required to pay their workers or suffer the consequences of less profit and smaller amounts of produced goods. Individuals who followed through with KKK initiation, will be banned from voting for 2 elections. Furthermore, all former KKK members will take the same oath as the KKK leaders and suffer the same consequences for refusal or violation (10 years in prison and revoked voting rights for 10 more years). We hope this will bring justice to those who suffered the harsh labor, inequality, and harassment of the Confederates and their counterparts.
What should be done for the freedmen?
The war was fought over the rights for Freedmen and the certain rights they deserve. The passing of the 14th and 15th Amendments are major steps in the growth during and after reconstruction. Passing the amendments allows former black slaves the right to vote along with granting full US citizenship. US citizenship eliminates the ⅗ Compromise of 1787, which enforced the law that slaves would only count as ⅗ of a vote versus one full vote. As these freedmen develop their news lives, they’ll need the financial support since they worked the majority or in many cases, their entire life without pay. To compensate for this, a program will be established and funded through the government, to provide essentials such as clothes, food, and some form of education. Education for these former slaves is important so they can exercise their right to vote accordingly to their beliefs with real knowledge of what they’re voting for. It’s also beneficial for them because they can fulfill the requirements for higher paying jobs. The freed slaves suffered for so long with no pay and little food and essentials. Thus making a paying job a necessity. Every freed slave will be granted some sort of job with ensured payment. Whether it be farming, factory work, etc. they will receive pay to support their family. As for the KKK, they made back slaves suffer for years on end. Now with a significant amount of incarcerated members, their land will be split amongst freedmen and be put to good use whether it be agriculture or the use of living. Freedmen will be living the life that all white men have lived for years. A life full of basic rights.
Who should be able to vote and hold office in the new Southern state governments?
Office in South has previously been held by White Supremacists defending slavery. Southern states should have equal representation when it comes to who’s in office. Yes, there’s people that agree with slavery and some that disagree. This making it even more important the freed black slaves are fairly represented in political events and issues. That being said, any man bears the right to run for a position in office if they meet the qualifications set. To run, they should have no less than 4 years of schooling and must obtain some political knowledge, along with ideas that will not cause regression in our society, but ideas that will give us the ability to flourish and move forward. They also must pledge oath, with their right hand on the Bible, to uphold and defend the rights the Constitution gives. If a right has been given through the Constitution, it should be obeyed by any person that is a legal United States citizen. With the freed slaves being granted US citizenship, they also have to obey all Constitutional rights. Along with obeying the Constitution, all United States citizens that have full granted citizenship have the right to vote. In the South, there will be the disagreement between freed blacks and White Supremacists, but they are all humans and all are granted the right to vote with certain exceptions regarding former Ku Klux Klan leaders and members.
What requirements must be met before states regain full rights and representation?
In order for the Southern states to be readmitted into the US and regain full rights and representation, Southern states must recognize and support the citizenship and the rights of freedmen. Any Southern government that has established Black Codes will not be admitted into the Union until the codes have been removed. On top of this, each Southern state must have at least 25% of their population pledge allegiance to the United States and must abide by any Civil Rights legislation passed by the US government. If a former state does not meet any part of this criteria they will be ineligible to pledge for statehood.
How should the Southern economy be restored?
In the wake of the Civil War, the South was left in ruins. The first step forward to restoration should be the regrowth of crops. In doing this, they can resume trading with the North, as well as other countries, to acquire the money lost from the war. From there, destroyed buildings like houses and businesses, will be rebuilt through the funding by the North. Families from the North who can afford to fund the South, will fund them through new taxes and will be required by law to fund them for the next 100 years or face jail time.
What role should Union troops play in policing, governing, or rebuilding the South?
After the Civil War Southern citizens hated the Union and everything it stood for. The Southern way of life had ended when General Lee surrendered at Appomattox. However, the Union will not call for its soldiers to return home, they must stay and ensure that Southern states will not rebel. Troops must stay and help rebuild communities that were utterly destroyed by the Civil War. This will hopefully build trust among both the North and the South. Union soldiers will enforce and protect the rights of Freedmen, they must not let any white man deny the rights of former black slaves. The soldiers will also protect the Whites who have pledged to be apart of the Union again so white supremacist terrorist group, KKK, are unable to threaten or harm them from supporting the new amendments which have granted Black men rights. Everyone has equal rights. Any man caught being part of any radical white supremacist organization following the establishment of laws against groups like the KKK will be sent to prison for a minimum of 10 years. There will be no more toleration for such organizations in the US. All soldiers stationed in the South must protect the voting rights of all people. Blacks and whites have an equal chance to vote, force may be needed if Southern citizens do not comply. Union troops will not be pulled out of the South until loyalty to the Union is proven and all Black men are ensured safety.
Re-state the primary goal of reconstruction.
The goal of reconstruction is to reunify the country without much opposition from Southern states. Harsh punishments will follow former CSA leaders who served as high ranking officials in the army or government. The government must protect the rights of all citizens no matter their race.
Prepare a response to an "opposition" group. In your response you will need to point out the flaws and weaknesses and/or the strengths of their plan. The day after we present, be sure to upload your response at the bottom of their page. You will also need to be ready to challenge their plan in class, as their group presents.